Are we Ready for Smart Cities?

Smart cities are an emerging phenomenon, which is not only called for by their inhabitant’s needs, but also by the more and more pressuring external factors, such as global economic slowdown, the increasing scarcity of resources and climate change. While smart cities are to increase the quality of life of the people, often the people themselves are not ready, not smart enough for them. Technology readiness is an important factor of technology adaptation; hence it is the basis of whether people are looking forward to smart cities or are rather afraid of them. In the current article, the readiness of people in an international sample is assessed with the help of a questionnaire, but the understanding of their choices is enriched by cultural and economic background data stemming from two representative international surveys, namely the Cultural Dimensions research of Geert Hofstede and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data. The results presented in the article are in line with the international literature but are enriching the existing body by combining the socioeconomic and cultural aspects in the interpretation of individual choices

Illustrating Training Opportunities Related to Manpower Facility Protection through the Example of Máv Co.

Smart towns plan several progressive practical innovations with the aim of ensuring the convenience of its inhabitants and that of commuters or visitors. These innovations aim at not only ensuring convenience but also at increasing the living standards based on sustainable results with the help of smart tools and logical methods. The foundation of smart towns is to ensure the security of its inhabitants. Hence, it is a vital task to maintain the operation under normal conditions of critical infrastructure. According to the Act 1997. year CLIX. critical infrastructure is also related to the railway activity of MÁV-group. The Act concerns armed security sentry, conservationist and agrarian sentry. Hence safeguarding activity is performed by both security guards and armed security guards at MÁV groups. Their duties do not only consist of preventive security tasks but also defence in certain unique cases in accordance with the regulations of their field of work. In order for them to perform their duties properly it is vital that an extensive, regular and practice-oriented training of security guards to happen. This publication aims at illustrating the current training opportunities applied in the field of safeguarding that ensure the functioning of the MÁV group. Also, some potential improvements of training opportunities are shed a light on. We outline the internal training opportunities security professionals – employed by MÁV Co. – can participate at. Besides that, we illustrate the possibilities of employee retraining and courses professionals employed by MÁV Co. are offered in order for them to become well-trained professionals that can fit the complex system of the concept of a smart town